Tacos = Good. Short ribs = good. This dish = good.
Fun Fact: The word taco comes from the Nahuatl word ‘tlahco’ which means “half or in the middle”, referring to the way it is formed.
I love grilling whenever I can (b/c fire is cool) because of some caveman instinct probably. The fire gives a great flavor you can’t replicate inside, plus you get to click the tongs and legally people have to call you chief if you are running the grill. Note: other acceptable names are boss, big chief, grill master. This recipe uses ‘flanken’ cut short ribs which are longer strips with multiple bones. This is similar to what might be used for Korean barbecue a they cook very quickly and are well suited for grilling/searing on the stove.
The marinade I used was asian inspired (think Korean barbeque-esque) and then I topped it with a grilled salsa, quest fresco, and avocado. Feel free to experiment with the topping and marinade and try different combos. Last time I made these it was about 40F outside so I can say this is an anytime of year dish to grill outside if you are brave enough.
Tips and tricks:
- You can make the salsa a day ahead to make it even more flavorful or make it the day of if you are planning to grill them first.
- For extra flavor, grill the tortillas to get a nice char on them.
- I served them with grilled scallions on the side for a nice quick side dish
Ingredients
- Flanken cut short ribs (~ 1 rib per taco)
- Flour or corn tortillas
- Marinade: (for ~3 lbs. short ribs)
- 2/3 C. soy sauce
- 3 Tb sesame oil
- 1 medium pear or apple, cored and chopped
- 2-3 Tb. Honey or brown sugar
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 Tb. knob of ginger
- 1/2 C. diced green onion
- 1/4 C. rice vinegar
- Grilled Salsa:
- 3-4 Roma tomatoes
- 1-2 small onion
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, rough chopped
- 1-2 small jalapenos
- Lime juice
- Toppings:
- Sliced avocado
- Queso fresco
- Diced onion/cilantro
- Limes
- Radish, thin sliced
Get Cooking
- Marinade the ribs 4-8 hours before cooking if possible: Combine all the marinade ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Add the short ribs to a large ziplock bag and pour in the marinade. Mix and smoosh around to coat the ribs and place the bag in the fridge on a plate or tray. Flip the bag every 1-2 hours to make sure the marinade is even.
- Prepare salsa: If grilling/ roasting the vegetables first, coat the tomato, onion (halved), and jalapeno and season with salt. Either A) grill vegetables over the coals until soft and the outside is charred or B) place on a sheet tray and under the broiler for 5-10 minutes per side until soft and charred. Another option is to keep this as a very fresh salsa and use the raw vegetables.
- Place the vegetables into a food processor along with the cilantro and some lime juice (I usually start with 1/2 a lime). Blend the salsa until your desired chunkiness is achieved. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Cook the ribs: Remove the ribs from the fridge and carefully wipe off the excess marinade before cooking. Extra marinade may burn due to the sugar so be careful.
- Grilling: If grilling, cook the ribs for 3-5 minutes per side or until your desired level of doneness is achieved. The correct answer is medium/ medium-rare. Please don’t tell me if you like your steaks well done. Be sure to keep the ribs moving to prevent too much burning, but some char is good to provide some bitter flavor.
- Stovetop: On a stove, preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. Add a small amount of oil and place the ribs in the pan and leave for 3-5 minutes until a good crust has formed. Flip and cook the ribs until your desired level of doneness.
- After cooking the ribs, optionally grill or sautée some green onions seasoned with salt for 1-2 minutes or until slightly soft. In either case, rest the ribs for 10-15 minutes before cutting.
- Heat the tortillas – my preferred method is grilling or over the stove. Its important to flip it with your hand like your abuela would but use tongs if you must (please don’t burn yourself). You can also wrap in foil and heat in the oven, or even microwave them.
- Cut the ribs into small chunks and assemble the tacos! Top with whatever you want, some suggestions are quest fresco, avocado, cilantro, and be sure to give a big squeeze of lime juice!
The Red Apron Cook 